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KEULEMANS, Johannes Gerardus (Dutch, 1842-1912). A WILDTYPE AND GOLDEN KEA PERCHING ON A BRANCH. watercolor on paper, heightened with white and gum arabic signed lower left in monorgram and dated “JGK 1904”. Very likely intended as illustration For Walter Lawry Buller, Supplement to The birds of New Zealand, London (1905), vol 2. 21 x 16 1/4 inches sheet, 32 1/2 x 27 7/8 inches framed The kea (Nestor notabilis, Gould, 1856) is the world’s only omnivorous and alpine parrot, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Kea are known for their great intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment; they are even capable of preparing and using tools. While their scientific name is given by John Gould in 1856, their common name “kea” derives from M?ori and is most likely an onomatopoeic representation of the bird’s in-flight call. In the nineteenth and twentieth century golden kea were rare, but due to the killing and higher prices for these specimen, these mutations are even more exclusive. Nowadays only one golden kea in the wild exists. Keulemans made a remarkable, elegant, and lively watercolor of this parrot species in 1904. Both kea stare directly into the beholders eye, the one in the back slightly lowering its head as if it were listening, creating an intimate dialogue with the viewer.